


Military Men

by rotKaiserin



Category: Joker Game (Anime)
Genre: Alternative Perspective, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-09-25
Updated: 2016-09-25
Packaged: 2018-08-17 03:44:53
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,916
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8129191
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/rotKaiserin/pseuds/rotKaiserin
Summary: Odagiri saw Sakuma and saw a soldier, an outsider, and himself.





	

**Author's Note:**

> i am here to give my son odagiri some love (*ﾟ◇ﾟ)
> 
> aah so personally, I think Odagiri and Sakuma would have an interesting relationship ovo not necessarily romantic, but I think they'd be good friends, yeah? Sadly this isn't that fic LOL but I kinda wanted to explore Odagiri's thoughts on Sakuma and it became a sort of like... the first two episodes from his perspectives in a way haha
> 
> I've edited this heavily, but I've been so exhausted lately orz forgive me and feel free to point out if there any spelling/grammar mistakes ;;
> 
> Anyways, this is cross posted on my [tumblr](http://dollofdeath.tumblr.com/post/150887839227/military-men-11)! Thank you for reading, I hope you enjoy~! (ˊᗜˋ)

When Odagiri heard of the liaison that was supposed to oversee them, he knew what to expect -- a soldier, taught to follow orders and Imperial ideologies mindlessly. He was fine with that, honestly. He originally enlisted in the military not because he wanted to, but because he had nothing else _to_ do. His own time there had been rough, especially with how harsh his superiors were, but the people he'd gotten to know there made the experience bearable. They were good people, simply misled by their country's teachings. That was why when Sakuma arrived, he was easier on him than the other spies. After all, he was just a man trying to fulfill his duties.

At first glance, it would seem like the spies didn't pay Sakuma much attention, but Odagiri knew better. He'd see their shared glances and smirks when he wasn't looking at them and hear jokes that flew over Sakuma's head, ones he didn't realize were about him until he thought about it. Miyoshi was especially bad, actively teasing and trying to coax reactions from him. Odagiri couldn't bring himself to join in on their fun. Instead, he let them do as they pleased, watching them terrorize Sakuma from afar. Ironic, considering what got him involved with the D-Agency in the first place.

They eventually grew accustomed to Sakuma's presence. He was always by Yuuki as they did their training and off to the side during their free time, an ever present non-entity. The looks and gibes died down, but Sakuma never quite fit in. No matter how many times he was invited to join in their activities, there was always a sense of ridicule coming from the others, a sort of condescending feeling that made one reconsider their worth. It reminded Odagiri of when they first started training.

Their lives before D-Agency were kept top secret, but they wouldn't be very good spies if they couldn't figure out each other's histories. Odagiri's was the easiest to find out. When they first began, his mannerisms were more rigid and strict no matter how much he tried to break out of the habit -- an easy clue to who he'd been. Hatano often mock saluted him and Miyoshi made not-so-playful quips at him. The others didn't do much about it, but he often felt like everyone scrutinized him in every single thing he did. Every move he made, every word he uttered, every breath he breathed felt like it would get him kicked out at any moment. It was better, now that there was only the eight of them and they've formed some semblance of camaraderie, but the feeling haunted him every now and then.

The feeling returned tenfold as he watched the other spies interact with Sakuma. He had no reason to, the rational side of him knew that, but every glance, every sneer, every remark felt like they were directed at _him_ and not Sakuma. He tried his best not to let it get to him, but he'd always had a harder time throwing away his emotions than the others.

His mind was only half into the joker game he and the other spies played now. He sent signals by flipping the pages of his book and asking for more cigarettes, but his true focus was on Sakuma. Sakuma, who believed they were actually playing a poker game; Sakuma, who became more and more determined to win as it progressed; Sakuma, who then lost to absolutely no one's surprise. He accepted it with little problem though, chalking it up to bad luck. The others exchanged looks as he stood up to leave.

"Sakuma, you didn't lose the poker game," Odagiri said, stopping him in his tracks. As soon as the words left his mouth, he wondered whether or not he should've said anything at all.

Odagiri felt seven pairs of eyes on him. He ignored them. Or rather, he didn't let his discomfort show.

"What do you mean?"

Avoiding Sakuma’s gaze, he said, "I was peeking at your cards and signaling the others."

"What?!"

Disgust quickly replaced Sakuma's confusion and it was Miyoshi who explained the joker game to him. If he didn't trust them before, he definitely didn't trust them now. Given who he was, Odagiri wouldn't have expected any other reaction. Even he had to admit he had trouble getting into the gist of their games when they'd first started. But even if he understood where Sakuma was coming from, he couldn't agree either.

It seemed their dispute called the attention of Lieutenant Colonel Yuuki, who came in and joined the discussion. If he were the type to fidget, Odagiri's leg would've been bouncing up and down. His book was heavy in his hands.

"If you were a spy, and the enemy discovered your secret, what would you do?" Yuuki asked.

"I'd have no choice but to kill the enemy, or if that weren't possible, kill myself," was Sakuma's resolute answer.

The others laughed, but Odagiri didn't. His face remained stoic while he cringed at the response on the inside. He almost pitied Sakuma with how confused he looked.

Yuuki spoke of the fallacies in his ideology, and Odagiri listened silently. All of this he'd already learned, but that didn't stop him from feeling like he was the one being humiliated. Sakuma held his ground as best he could, but his earlier resolve soon faltered, shaken by all the counterarguments given. The others looked at him as if he were the student who answered the easiest question incorrectly. Yuuki sounded like a teacher trying to explain things to a particularly slow child. Odagiri's lips curled down ever so slightly.

"The only thing that lies in your futures is that empty solitude. And the only thing you'll have to support you there is your ability to adapt to any situation, and instantly decide the best course of action."

Finally, Yuuki walked away, leaving behind a bewildered Sakuma. The others started up another joker game, not minding him one bit. Odagiri returned to his book, which he wasn't really reading in the first place, but he'd rather not see the sight of Sakuma looking so defeated.

* * *

It was a slow day so far, but Odagiri reveled in it. The time to just sit down and be by himself were few and far in between, especially now as their training drew to a close. Of course, he wasn't really alone. He sat on the sofa of the parlor room as the others busied themselves. Kaminaga and Hatano were playing a game of billiards as Tazaki and Amari watched, lost in their own conversation. Jitsui sat on the other end of the sofa reading a book and Fukumoto made his grocery list for later. Then Miyoshi came into the room, completing the scene. Odagiri couldn't help but think he'd never experienced this kind of familiarity with the other military trainees.

"We have a mission," Miyoshi said, not wasting time with formalities.

The others stopped what they were doing and all their attention was on him.

"At 0800 hours we'll be heading out to John Gordon's house, a man suspected of being an American spy. We're to disguise as the Military Police and find evidence."

"Anything else we need to know?" Kaminaga asked.

Miyoshi’s lips quirked up into a smirk, sending unease throughout Odagiri's body.

"Sakuma will be acting as our lieutenant. I'll be his interpreter."

There was a beat of silence.

"Sakuma?" Jitsui asked. "On whose orders?"

"Mine," Miyoshi said as if it were obvious. "He's been around for our training, has he not? It would be interesting to see how he fares in an actual mission."

" _Or_ he'll just screw everything up," Hatano said, leaning against his cue stick. "We don't need to bring him along just because you wanna mess with him, Miyoshi."

"I agree," said Amari. "He's a soldier, not a spy. It wouldn't be fair to put him on the spot like that."

"Yuuki has already approved of it, so there's no point in arguing against it," Miyoshi said.

Hatano clicked his tongue.

"Ah, you guys make it sound like he's hopeless." Despite his words, Kaminaga's voice was playful and teasing.

"You seem more excited to see him mess up," Tazaki said, though he sounded equally amused.

"He'll be fine."

All of their heads snapped towards Odagiri. He hadn't meant to let that slip out, but he kept his neutral facade on. It was like he was back in their early training days, with all their eyes -- judging, criticizing, and merciless -- on him. _Of course_ Odagiri _would stick up for him_ , is what he imagined was going through their minds. He fought back those thoughts, trying not to blow their reactions out of proportion. Things were different now, he told himself. He was a former soldier, yes, but that didn't mean he necessarily had the most faith in Sakuma. All this talk just didn't sit well with him.

"We'll just have to see what happens," Fukumoto said and the topic was dropped.

Odagiri sighed as they discussed the finer details of the mission, mentally preparing himself for it. He wasn't worried about himself -- he wasn't worried in general -- but he wanted this to go smoothly.

 

* * *

 

"Huh? Hey, what'd you say to him?"

"I said that if we search his house and don't find anything, you'll cut your own stomach open right here, Lieutenant."

Odagiri stood tall and straight in line as Miyoshi told Sakuma what he'd told John Gordon. He couldn't see Sakuma's face from where he was, but he imagined a grimace on it, much like the one he'd make himself if not for his training. Sakuma was intelligent in his own right, but his kind of intelligence and how he used it could only get him so far. It was a shame, Odagiri thought, that his potential would be cut short today. Part of him hoped to be wrong, but hoping didn't get spies anywhere.

"Go." Sakuma ordered, and Odagiri could hear the tightness in his voice. They moved out.

He performed his task diligently, but more slowly than he normally would've. He knew there was nothing to be found in his area, nor in any of the areas they currently searched, but perhaps the slower pace would save Sakuma some time. Even then, he wasn't slow enough as he was the second to rejoin the line.

"The kitchen is clear."

"The yard is clear."

"Drawers are clear."

"Above the ceiling is clear."

As they gave their reports, Sakuma's face gradually fell. His teeth clenched together and his eyebrows furrowed deeply. Tension grabbed hold of his body, freezing him in place, and his eyes dilated with panic. It seemed that he finally understood the true intent of this mission.

"What's the matter, Captain?" Gordon asked, not bothering to hide the mockery in his voice. "Is it show time now?"

Gordon stared at Sakuma with wide eyes, a grin growing on his face. In his peripheral, Odagiri saw the smirks of the others edging him on. _Are you ready, Sakuma?_ they seemed to be saying, like he'd been handed a test he was doomed to fail. Odagiri kept his lips pursed in a straight line.

Like a good Imperial soldier would, Sakuma sat on the ground with his legs crossed and unbuttoned his uniform. He unsheathed his katana, and it gleamed brightly in the sunlight, excited for the execution. Gordon leaned forward, the giddiness of a child at a street festival plastered all over his face. His fellow spies made no move, their eyes not leaving Sakuma. Odagiri held his breath without thinking. In the back of his mind, he realized he hadn't seen harakiri preformed live either. It's a morbid curiosity, but he wondered how the scene would play out.

Only mere seconds passed, but it stretched on for what felt like hours. The world grew silent and Sakuma was the sole focus. He held the katana outstretched before him, an array of expressions going through his face: resignation, that this would be his end; frustration, that this truly wasn't how he wanted to go; realization, that he could find a way out of this; and then finally determination, that which Odagiri didn't know what to make of but dared to hope for the best.

Suddenly, he sheathed his katana.

"Come on, you can't quit now." The impatience was clear in Gordon's tone.

He set the saya down to his side.

"Back of the imperial portrait," Sakuma said, not a hint of doubt in his words.

Hearing that, Odagiri let go of the breath he'd been holding. Gordon stood speechless, but as soon as Miyoshi headed off to search the area, he began yelling at the top of his lungs, desperate for him to stop. The rest of them remained in place, ever still and ever silent. While Sakuma tried to keep an air of professionalism, a trained eye could see how relieved he was. Keeping his face hidden under his cap, Odagiri allowed himself to ease up as well.

That was a close one for everyone involved -- Sakuma especially, who would've been lying dead right now. Odagiri didn't mind being out of a job if they'd failed, but to see a man die because of what he'd been taught was sickening.

He tried not to think about the what if’s of the situation, but he wondered what would've happened if he'd finished his military training; what would’ve happened if he’d let himself be lead by foolish teachings; what would’ve happened if he were in Sakuma’s place. Odagiri didn't imagine a very long life for himself.

 

* * *

 

Only two weeks after they completed their mission, Sakuma announced his leave.

"As of today, I will no longer be working with you men. I'm being transferred to another unit," he told them.

All of them were gathered in the parlor, listening to Sakuma make his announcement. Sakuma stood still and kept his eyes focused forward, but it was easy to see the slight tilt of his body, as if he were about to bow.

Looking at him now, Odagiri didn't know what to feel. He'd come to appreciate his presence as more than just an observer, as did the others he was sure. Things wouldn't be the same without him here. Or maybe he'd just miss whatever ties he had left of his old life, as indirect as it was. Having him around was refreshing though, even if he didn't interact with him much. He wasn't a spy, but to call him an Imperial soldier would be false also. He was a soldier who'd learned to think for himself.

"It has been... an honor working with you."

None of them spoke for a moment, just eight pairs of eyes versus one. Then, Miyoshi chuckled.

"Why so sentimental, Sakuma?"

And like that, the tension in the room dissipated. The others joined in, teasing and saying their parting words to him. Odagiri stayed put though, watching them. The way the spies acted now was a contrast to when Sakuma first arrived, but it was only after months of observation that Odagiri could tell. There was less bite in the words they used with him and Sakuma himself looked more relaxed around them, though just a little bit. It was a shame that this only happened after Sakuma had proven himself to them. Perhaps in another time they all could've had the opportunity to be close with one another.

Eventually the others finished their goodbyes and gave Sakuma some space, which Odagiri took as the time to speak.

"Sakuma." He got up from his seat and walked over. "Thank you for your time."

Neither of them moved to bow, because they both knew better than to bow in a business suit. But if the circumstances had been different, Odagiri could easily imagine them dipping their heads deeply at each other. Sakuma didn't say anything, but he nodded and smiled. Odagiri returned it.

With nothing else left to do, Sakuma gave them all another nod and left the room. It was hard to believe that this was the last time he'd see him; even harder to believe was that he'd survived the time spent with them.

But the others acted as if Sakuma hadn't even been there in the first place. Kaminaga and Hatano resumed their billiards game against Miyoshi and Amari as Tazaki watched them, making comments every now and then. Jitsui continued to read the new book he'd gotten and Fukumoto was in the kitchen, preparing for lunch. Odagiri supposed it really wasn't that different.

Still, he wondered what Sakuma thought of them now. It was clear he didn't want to be there in the first place and likewise, the spies didn't welcome him with open arms. Despite that, he struggled alongside them in his own ways. Their training wasn't his, but he was there for every step of it. His own beliefs and morals were challenged, but he learned from those experiences instead of fighting against them. However, Sakuma was still human through and through. He was a good man -- a good man who wouldn't last in the constant company of monsters.

Odagiri didn't hope for anything, but he thought it'd be a shame if Sakuma were to die somewhere on the battlefield. But Sakuma was out of their lives now, so he followed the others and went about his life as usual. He would just have to try his best as well.

**Author's Note:**

> adds to my to-do list: fic where odagiri and sakuma are total bros and they have to suffer through everyone's antics together (jk, maybe --)
> 
> omg yeah so this has probably been pointed out before I'm sure but it got me really excited aah!! so I'd written a good chunk of this before re-watching the episodes to get the exact quotes and make sure the scenes are correct and I actually tried to see if Odagiri really didn't smirk during the harakiri scene and I [stitched up some caps](http://s18.postimg.org/3zcruelm1/odagiri_my_boy1.png) and hE DIDN'T I WAS LIKE YEEEAAAA hehe sorry I got really really excited about that (^^ゞ
> 
> okay for real though...... i swear to the lord jesus christ almighty, this should be my last fic for a while.... (until winter break at least...)
> 
> feel free to talk to me on [tumblr](dollofdeath.tumblr.com) or on [twitter](https://twitter.com/nighthawkstars) ^o^ Thanks again for reading~! I hope you have a great day/night~（≧∇≦）


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